The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) has been vital to Kent State University.
The division assists students with resources that increase their engagement around campus and connects them with unique opportunities that enhance their educational experience.
The university was founded in 1910, and the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs was responsible for the enrollment management, and student involvement functions on campus. In 2015, Kent State President Beverly Warren moved to a leadership model widely adopted by other growing and thriving universities nationwide. This move separated the two functions and established the Division of Student Affairs.
Almost ten years later, another shift in the Higher Education industry has led to changes in the division.
Effective August 1, the Division of Student Affairs will be renamed the Division of Student Life.
“There was a team of people from around the division as well as students who came together to help think through how we talk about our work,” said Lamar R. Hylton, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Student Life.
“The name was certainly at the forefront of those conversations regarding wanting to represent the type of work that we do at Kent State University.”
Hylton explained this change was motivated by two key factors.
One was the shift in the student affairs field to rename the work being done on campuses concerning the student experience. Therefore, the division wanted to align with the changes happening throughout this field. Additionally, the shift to student life denotes a move toward a more transformational way of embracing an educational ecosystem that thrives in the student experience and involves the life-changing and life-shaping work that occurs outside of the classroom.
Hylton stated the division is rooted in community, care, communication, and the reduction and response to crisis. Therefore, student life represents that more effectively to people.
“We are excited about what is to come for our division in the future, and hopefully, this name will fully represent the story that we like to tell when it comes to the power of our work outside of the classroom and in helping students be retained, persist, and graduate from Kent State,” said Hylton. “We are excited about our new name and identity as we move forward.”
The Division of Student Life includes approximately 1,500 full-time and student employees working in over 25 departments and offices with one goal: student success in college and life.
For more information about the Division of Student Life, visit its website
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